I have wondered since day one, why these devices haven’t been used?
I’ve wondered that too. It may be a Posse Commitatus issue; after Lincoln did it, Presidents have been restricted from using the army at will. Governors have to request a President use the Army to quell a problem.
Now in D.C. Trump may have a free hand to use these things since D.C. belongs to the federal government and has no Governor. I can remember when D.C. was ruled directly by Congress; that changed in the 1970s.